Danville Student wins Best Of Show
In the 2007 Vermont Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest

Amy Galipeault, 18, of Danville, Vermont and a student at Danville School placed Best of Show in the Vermont Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. Amy’s winning entry was an oil painting of a Tundra Swan.

Amy submitted her rendering of the Tundra Swan to the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in March. Her entry was judged, by a panel of five judges including Refuge Biologist, Judy Sefchick-Edwards, Refuge Volunteer & Artist Erick Bataille, U.S. Postal Service employee Cindy Shedrick, Swanton School Project SCOPE (Safe Civil Orderly Positive Learning Environment) Coordinator, Mary Wood, and St. Albans Messenger Photographer Stina Plant, as being best of show from over 150 entries received from across the state. Students in kindergarten through high school may enter the contest each year. First, second, and third place winners are selected in each of four age groups. Many other entries receive honorable mention awards.

The first place art winners of each group are as follows:
Group I (K-3): Lindsey Kilbury, 8, Swanton, Katie Brown, 8, Fairfax, and Mercedes Chen, 8, Shaftsbury
Group II (4-6): Abigail Russell, 9, Cambridge, Colby Pupi, 9, Bakersfield, and Teddy Ninh, 9, Essex Jct.
Group III (7-9): Lucas Waldrep, 13, Franklin, Stephanie Cameron, 13, Essex Jct., and Vy Nguyen, 13 of Essex Jct.
Group IV (10-12): Daniel Aiken, Sheffield, and Jasoo Paik, 18, St. Johnsbury.

Students are encouraged to include a conservation message on the back of the art work and this years’ first place conservation message winners of each group are as follows:
Group I (K-3): Katrina Nuñez, Highgate, wrote “Conservation - Its helping The animals”
Group II (4-6): Colby Ouellette, 10, Swanton, wrote “Give a quack! Conserve natural resources.”
Group III (7-9): Christina Yu, 14, Essex Jct., wrote “We must conserve nature today to protect the world of tomorrow”
Group IV (10-12): Jasoo Paik wrote “It's our world and we have to take care of it. This is why conservation is important to me.”

Every state participates in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design contest. The contest is modeled after the Service’s Federal Duck Stamp Art competition. The Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest is part of an innovative educational curriculum that teaches students in grades K-12 about wetlands and waterfowl conservation.

Amy’s “Best of Show” winning design for Vermont was sent to Washington, DC, where three national winners will be chosen by a panel of judges. The first place winner receives a $4,000 cash award and a free trip to Washington, DC in the fall to attend the adult Federal Duck Stamp Contest, along with his/her art teacher, one of his/her parents, and his/her state coordinator. The national first place winning design is used to produce the Federal Junior Duck Stamp. The Second Place Winner receives a $2,000 cash award; and the third Place Winner receives a $1,000 cash award.

For more information about the contest in Vermont contact the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, 29 Tabor Rd., Swanton, VT 05488: telephone (802) 868-4781.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93 million acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management offices, and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.